You Got The Silver

Album: Let It Bleed (1969)
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Songfacts®:

  • This was the first time Keith Richards sang the entire lead vocal. He shared vocals with Mick Jagger on "Salt Of The Earth."
  • Keith Richards wrote this about his then-girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg. She was going out with his bandmate Brian Jones before taking up with Richards.
  • Brian Jones played the autoharp, which is a string instrument with a series of chord bars attached to dampers to isolate the desired chord. Jones played many unusual instruments for The Stones, and this was one of the last songs he contributed to. Stung out on drugs, he rarely showed up to the Let It Bleed sessions, and was not always functional when he did.
  • This was the only song on Let It Bleed that Jones got credit for helping to write. It was recorded a year earlier, when he could still contribute.
  • The Stones did record a version with Jagger singing lead, but decided to release the one with Richards singing.
  • Although not released on the soundtrack, this was used in the Michaelangelo Antonioni film Zabriskie Point. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Joel - Chicago, IL
  • Nicky Hopkins played piano and organ on this. He played with The Stones on albums from Between The Buttons through Black And Blue. Along with Ian Stewart and Billy Preston, Hopkins was one of the three major contributors on keyboards for The Stones. Preston usually played on soulful, gospel-type numbers where an organ was required, Stewart played boogie-woogie on fast songs, and Hopkins played on the ballads. Hopkins also played with The Beatles and Jeff Beck. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • The Stones didn't play this live until 1999, but then it became a regular part of their otherwise hit-packed setlists. Richards was surprised how well it went over with fans.

Comments: 14

  • Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganHopkins also played on the early Who tracks before Pete learned how to play the piano.
  • Michael from MelbourneI don't believe Nicky Hopkins played piano on any Beatles tracks...he played on their solo albums, bar Paul.
  • Chuck from San FranciscoIt's so nice to see comments from others who appreciate this tune as much as I do. Such a gentle, simple song on the surface, that rips your heart out when you connect the dots.
  • Domyo from Bloomington, InThis is, quite simply, Keith's greatest vocal performance and perhaps the best Rolling Stones song of this entire period, if not ever. There is a pure strength and self-assurance in Keith's delivery which reminds me very much of Dylan's "It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry"-- two fundamentally flawed vocalists going all out and doing something beyond themselves.
  • Ken from Booneville,ms, MsI believe he should have had credit for many of the Stoens songs because without his musical contributions they wouldnt have sounded as good. Especially 2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME,UNDER MY THUMB,RUBY TUESDAY(which he did write with Keith) and RUBY TUESDAY AND many more.
  • Peter Griffin from Quahog, RiHooray for Keith!
  • Stig from Chicago, IlWe used to listen to this one doing mescaline in 69, cut school and get ripped at my buddy's house. The stinging electric guitar part goes right through you, particularly those last few chords at the end.......
  • R from Montreal, Qc, CanadaFabulous song. Keith voice was very good at the time.

    Start listening to the Let It Bleed album with this one through the end. A real trip.
  • Laura from Santa Fe, NmI recently saw Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi in concert and they covered it. It was genius. I hear it is on one of her albums.
  • Keith from Winchester, VaCorrect. Jones never received a writing credit for any song. He certainly desrved one , I'd think, for "Under My Thumb" and probably quite a few of the earlier ones.
  • Dave from London , CanadaKeith uses his (then) new found penchant for open tuning on this number.
  • Kent Lyle from Palo Alto, CaI'm not sure that Brian got any writing credits for this song. In fact, I don't believe he ever had any beyond the group credit 'Nanker Phelge' on some of their earliest compositions. However, it was the last Stones song to feature any meaningful contribution from him.
  • Mr. Chimp from Brno, Czech RepublicAccording to myself, one of the best Rolling Stones´ songs ever.
  • Nicolas from Buenos Aires, ArgentinaThis is a Great Song, like LET IT BLEED, in my opinion one of the greatest Rolling Stones albuns
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